Altai Mountains

Lore & Background

The Altai Mountains are a system of remote mountains in central Asia that cover an area of 845,000 km2 (326,000 sq mi). The mountains stretch for 2,525 km (1,569 mi) from northwest to southeast. In the north of the region is the Sailughem Mountains, also known as Kolyvan Altai, which stretch northeast from 49° N and 86° E towards the western extremity of the Sayan Mountains in 51° 60' N and 89° E. Their mean elevation is 1,500–1,750 m (4,920–5,740 ft). The snow-line runs at 2,000 m (6,600 ft) on the northern side and at 2,400 m (7,900 ft) on the southern, and above it the peaks rise some 1,000 m (3,300 ft) higher. Mountain passes across the range are few and difficult, the chief being the Ulan-daban at 2,827 m (9,275 ft) (or 2,879 m (9,446 ft) according to Kozlov), and the Chapchan-daban, at 3,217 m (10,554 ft), in the south and north respectively. On the east and southeast this range is flanked by the plateau of Mongolia, the transition being affected gradually by means of several minor plateaus, such as Ukok (2,380 m (7,810 ft)) with Pazyryk Valley, Chuya (1,830 m (6,000 ft)), Kendykty (2,500 m (8,200 ft)), and Kak (2,520 m (8,270 ft)), (2,590 m (8,500 ft)), and (2,410 m (7,910 ft)). This region is studded with large lakes, e.g. Uvs 720 m (2,360 ft) above sea level, Khyargas, Dorgon and Khar 1,170 m (3,840 ft), and traversed by various mountain ranges, of which the principal are the Tannu-Ola Mountains, running roughly parallel with the Sayan Mountains as far east as the Kosso-gol, and the Khan Khökhii mountains, also stretching west and east. The north western and northern slopes of the Sailughem Mountains are extremely steep and difficult to access. On this side lies the highest summit of the range, the double-headed Belukha, whose summits reach 4,506 m (14,783 ft) and 4,400 m (14,400 ft) respectively, and give origin to several glaciers and glaciokarst formations (30 km2 (12 sq mi) in aggregate area, as of 1911). Altaians call it Kadyn Bazhy, but is also called Uch-Sumer. The second highest peak of the range is in Mongolian part and is named Khüiten Peak. This peak reaches 4,374 m (14,350 ft).

Reader's Guide

The Altai Mountains are a system of remote mountains in central Asia. The local economy is based on bovine, sheep, horse husbandry, hunting, agriculture, forestry, and mining. The now discredited Altaic language family takes its name from this mountain range. The middle and lower parts of the Bukhtarma valley have been colonized since the 18th century by runaway Russian peasants, serfs, and religious schismatics (Raskolniks), who created a free republic there on Chinese territory. After this part of the valley was annexed to Russia in 1869, it was rapidly colonized. The high valleys farther north, on the same western face of the Sailughem range, are lightly populated, mostly by Kyrgyz shepherds. The areas of the Bashkaus, Chulyshman, and Chulcha, all three leading to the alpine lake of Teletskoye (length, 80 km (50 mi); maximum width, 5 km (3.1 mi); elevation, 520 m (1,710 ft); area, 230.8 km2 (89.1 sq mi); maximum depth, 310 m (1,020 ft); mean depth, 200 m (660 ft)), are inhabited by Telengit people. The Altai mountains are home to a diverse fauna, because of its different habitats, like steppes, northern taigas and alpine vegetation. Steep slopes are home to the Siberian ibex (Capra sibirica), whereas the rare argali (Ovis ammon) is found on more gentle slopes. Deer are represented by five species: Altai wapiti (Cervus elaphus sibiricus), moose (Alces alces), forest reindeer (Rangifer tarandus valentinae), Siberian musk deer (Moschus moschiferus), and Siberian roe deer (Capreolus pygargus). Moose and reindeer however, are restricted to the northern parts of the mountain range. The wild boar (Sus scrofa) is found in the lower foothills and surrounding lowlands. Until recently, the Mongolian gazelle (Procapra gutturosa) was found in the Russian Altai mountains, more specifically in the Chuya River steppe close to the Mongolian border. Large predators are represented by snow leopards (Panthera uncia, syn. Uncia uncia), wolves (Canis lupus), Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx), and brown bears (Ursus arctos), in the northern parts also by the wolverine (Gulo gulo). The Tien Shan dhole (Cuon alpinus hesperius) (a northwestern subspecies of the Asiatic wild dog) also lived there.

Did You Know?

• The name Altai is derived from an underlying form *altañ meaning 'gold, golden', related to Old Turkic 𐰞𐱃𐰆𐰣 altun 'gold, golden'.
• The highest summit is the double-headed Belukha, whose summits reach 4,506 m (14,783 ft) and 4,400 m (14,400 ft).
• The Bukhtarma valley was colonized since the 18th century by runaway Russian peasants, serfs, and religious schismatics who created a free republic on Chinese territory before annexation to Russia in 1869.
• The now discredited Altaic language family takes its name from this mountain range.
• The region is studded with large lakes, including Uvs at 720 m (2,360 ft) above sea level, and Khyargas, Dorgon and Khar at 1,170 m (3,840 ft).

Scale and Global Standing

The Altai mountain system stretches across approximately 2,000 kilometres, placing it among the most extensive mountain structures catalogued on Earth. Within that broader system, the core Altai Mountains range spans roughly 1,200 kilometres, a length that positions it squarely among the world's major ranges. In global comparisons, the Altai occupies a tier between the Carpathian Mountains at 1,700 kilometres and the Drakensberg at 1,125 kilometres. It is notably shorter than continental giants like the Andes at 7,000 kilometres or the Rocky Mountains at 4,830 kilometres, yet it matches the Alps and the Apennines at the same 1,200-kilometre mark. The Altai comfortably clears the 500-kilometre threshold that qualifies a range for inclusion in comprehensive global length listings, joining an elite group that includes the Great Dividing Range, the Transantarctic Mountains, and the Kunlun Mountains. Its sheer longitudinal extent makes it a defining entry in any catalogue of the Earth's longest mountain chains.

Geological Independence in Global Classification

One of the most striking aspects of the Altai in global geological classification is its independence. In the comprehensive listings, many of the world's major ranges are explicitly identified as sections of larger orogenic systems. The Kunlun Mountains, Atlas Mountains, Carpathian Mountains, Alps, Apennines, Caucasus, Taurus, Zagros, and numerous others are all noted as sections of the Alpine-Himalayan orogenic belt, which itself spans more than 15,000 kilometres. Similarly, the Verkhoyansk Range, Chersky Range, Kolyma Mountains, and several others are classified as sections of the East Siberian System. The Altai, however, appears in the listings as a standalone entry, not subordinated to any of these vast orogenic belts. This distinction sets it apart from its neighbours and marks it as a self-contained mountain structure with its own geological identity in the global taxonomy of ranges.

The System-Range Distinction

This pattern mirrors how other entries in the global listings are structured. The American Cordillera spans 13,400 kilometres while the Andes, its main subdivision, covers 7,000 kilometres. The North American Cordillera extends 6,400 kilometres, of which the Rocky Mountains account for 4,830 kilometres. Even the Hindu Kush-Himalayas region at 3,500 kilometres contains the Himalayas proper at roughly 2,500 kilometres. In each case, the larger system or region includes subsidiary ranges and chains beyond the primary named range. The Altai follows this same hierarchical pattern, with its 2,000-kilometre system wrapping around a 1,200-kilometre core, indicating a complex multi-range architecture that extends well beyond the most prominent peaks.

A Range Defined by Reach Rather Than Height

In the global hierarchy of mountain ranges, the Altai occupies a distinctive middle ground. It does not appear among the 23 highest ranges on Earth, all of which exceed 5,000 metres in elevation, meaning the Altai's peaks do not reach that extreme altitude threshold. However, by length it ranks well above many ranges that do achieve those heights. The Altai's 1,200-kilometre core range places it in the same bracket as the Alps, the Apennines, the Caucasus Mountains, and the Vindhya Range, while its 2,000-kilometre system extends it into the company of the Great Dividing Range, the Transantarctic Mountains, and the Kunlun Mountains. This profile, a range of considerable longitudinal extent but without the extreme summit elevations of the Himalayas or the Pamirs, gives the Altai a unique character in the global mountain catalogue, defined more by its reach across the landscape than by the height of its individual peaks.